The invention relates generally to the field of deck beams and supporting rails, and particularly deck beams and supporting rails for use in a compartment.
It is often desirable to have a means to support items such as freight within a container, particularly for the purposes of shipping using, for example, a highway van trailer. Where the container is used for a variety of freight, such as when the container is part of or secured to the back of a vehicle, such as a van, it may be advantageous to have a means of readily adjusting the vertical position of deck beams, along the supporting rail, to facilitate efficient loading, and to accommodate freight of differing sizes. Various adjustable decking systems are known in the art, including that disclosed in Canadian Patent 2,234,534, Canadian Patent 2,236,847, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,338,137, and 6,074,143.
Known adjustable decking systems generally provide vertical support members such as rails, with means to attach horizontal decking supports such as beams, which are adjustable up and down the vertical supports. Such systems tend to employ a track and support connection wherein a vertically aligned connector having a T-shape is received and slidable within a parallely oriented receiver having a C-shape, such that the head of the T is slidable up and down within the C-shaped track. Such a system tends to place considerable strain on the inside edges of the T-C connection, which may cause undesirable wear and eventual looseness or vibration in the connection.
Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved deck beam and support rail.
In an embodiment of the invention, there is provided a decking assembly for use in supporting freight. The assembly comprises a pair of elongated tracks, a decking support carriage for each track, and locking means secured to the carriage. The pair of elongated tracks is vertically oriented in opposing relationship to one another. The tracks each have a top surface and a bottom surface, and the top surface has a pair of spaced, inverted, V-shaped grooves with constricted openings, running longitudinally. Each decking support carriage has an outer surface and an inner surface, and spaced, opposing pairs of legs outwardly extending from the inner surface. The pairs of legs form complementary, inverted V-shapes to matingly engage within the grooves on the tracks for secure, guided, sliding movement within the tracks. The locking means is secured to said carriage and is adapted to substantially prevent sliding of said carriage in said track when engaged.